This document provides guidance on scholarly writing expectations, formats for academic writing, and tips for writing an article review. It discusses that academic writing is formal, uses proper grammar and citations, avoids first and second person pronouns, and follows discipline-specific conventions. It also outlines the components of an article review, including bibliographic information, an introduction with thesis statement, a summary of the article's argument, a section analyzing and evaluating the article, and a conclusion. The document provides examples and vocabulary to help structure strong reviews and offers tips for writing clear and effective evaluations.

1. 13
CRACKING THE CODE
ENGL 101 Course pack
2020 – 2021
By Melinda Dewsbury
Trinity Western University
Module 1Review of Scholarly Writing
Expectations of Academic Writing
· It is formal.
· It has accurate grammar and vocabulary. It uses complete
sentences.
· It is not usually a 5 paragraph essay!
· It follows all of the rules of formatting, such as margins, font,
indented paragraphs, and page numbers.
· It does not require long, complicated sentences.
· It demonstrates your level as a scholar.

2. · It includes a lot of citations and references.
· It requires your own voice and your own thinking.
· It presents your argument directly and provides clear
evidence.
· Different kinds of essays (genres) have different expectations.
· Different kinds of essays require different cognitive tasks.
· Each discipline has its own style and expectations.
What to avoid:
First person (I/me/my) unless you are writing a personal
response.
Second person (you/your)
Contractions (don’t/can’t/won’t, he’s, they’re…)
Slang and informal expressions
Passive voice (“The problem was started by activists.”)
Sample of academic writing
Non-indigenous environmental activists are recognizing the
rightful place of First Nations at the forefront of environmenta l
fights. As activist Dave Ages (Unist'ot'en Camp) has said,
expressing why non-indigenous activists are rallying behind
First Nations leadership, these environmental fights are
happening in First Nations territories, but their fights are all of

3. our fights (2014). While perhaps these allegiances were in the
past partially instrumental, there is now a deep intertwining of
First Nations' indigenous rights struggles and environmental
fights in BC. This is partially due the decades of intimate
sharing of struggle and growing incorporation of indigenous
rights within the environmentalist agendas. It is also at least as
much due to learned strategies of First Nations leaders for
maintaining their leadership of these collaborations by requiring
participating NGOs and individual activists to commit to
indigenous leadership as a precondition for participation (Frost,
2018). These strategies are exemplified by Unist'ot'en Camp
(Huson & Toghestiy (Wet'suwet'en), 2014), the Lelu Island
occupation (Brown, (Tsim-shian), 2016), the Burnaby Mountain
WatchHouse in southern BC (George, (Tsleil-waututh), 2018) as
well as the stance held by the Skeena Watershed Conservation
Coalition in relationship to their collaboration with various
Gitxsan houses (McPhail, 2015). Progress has been made in
both attitudes of environmentalists toward First Nations and
institutional structures for indigenous leadership, but there still
exist tensions in many instances between some
environmentalists' and First Nations' objectives. These
protocols of sovereignty recognition serve to both structurally
maintain First Nations leadership and educate environmentalists
on environmental justice and indigenous rights.
Excerpt from p. 138: Frost, K. (2019). First Nations
sovereignty, environmental justice, and degrowth in Northwest
BC, Canada. Ecological Economics, 162, 133-42.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2019.04.017

4. MODULE 2WRITING THE ARTICLE REVIEW
What is an article review?
The Miriam Webster Dictionary defines review as “a critical
evaluation.”
The Cambridge Dictionary says, “If critics review a book, play,
film, etc. they write their opinion of it.”
Therefore, when you review an article (or anything else), you
are offering your opinion, the positive and negative points about
it.
In University
Your professor might assign you to write a review of an article
or book from your class. If you are taking media courses, you
may write a review of a film or album. In theatre classes, your
professor might want you to review a play or performance.
Reviews are common assignments. The principles we learn here
can apply to any kind of review.
Writing the Article Review
Bibliographic information
You need to provide the full bibliography of the text or piece
you are reviewing. This is often presented at the top of the
page in regular APA format for a reference.
An alternative is to embed it in the text, like this:
In her article, “Why ‘domestic’ work is a global issue” (2011,
March 1), Emily Rauhalla argues that…
Introduction
Your introductory paragraph should be short (3-4 sentences in
total). Here is the information you should provide in the
introduction:

5. · the author’s full name and his or her background/credentials
· the general topic of the article/book (A sentence like, “The
article explores the lives of foreign domestic workers, such as
nannies”).
· the author’s perspective, bias, and/or basic outlook on the
topic (OR this might appear in the summary section. Do not put
it in two times). An example is “The author provides an
economic perspective on the topic.”
Thesis statement
At the end of the introductory paragraph, write your own thesis
statement. This sentence basically states your opinion of the
piece, your overall rating. The thesis statement for an article
review is different from other kinds of thesis statements. Here
are some features.
1. It should include an overall opinion
· not your opinion on the TOPIC (such as what you think about
using foreign labour) but on the quality of the article or the
author’s argument
· Do NOT say something like
“I agree with Rauhala when she says that domestic work is
wrong.”
· Present your opinion of the relationship between the strengths
and weaknesses of the article. Which is more significant?
· Use evaluative language (for example, adjectives such as well-
argued, poorly-supported, fallacious, concrete, intriguing,
provoking…)
· Use your sentence structure to represent how the positive and
negative are connected.
[Although] + less important, SVO (more significant).
Although Rauhala uses specific countries as illustrations, her
discussion is weak because…
Although Rauhala perpetuates a cultural bias, she presents a
clear argument…

6. 2. It should clarify the standards you have used for evaluation.
· Do NOT just say “some strengths and some weaknesses”
Although Rauhala has some good points, her argument is a little
weak.
· Make sure your reader knows what you consider to be strong
or weak so BE SPECIFIC
Although Rauhala writes persuasively about a very worthy
topic, her argument is weakened by her absence of strong
evidence and by perpetuating the myth that Asian women are
domestic servants.
Summary of the article’s argument and evidence
· Type the heading Summary on the left hand side.
· Summarize the “gist” of the text only. First, tell the author’s
thesis or main idea.
· Then, show your reader how the author/speaker unfolds the
message. As you summarize, guide your reader. Remember
that he/she may not have read the actual text before. You are
responsible to recreate the meaning. Use the author’s name
frequently along with reporting verbs such as begins, continues,
asserts, explains, illustrates, suggests, concludes, compares,
contrasts, adds to, expands… This helps to convey both WHAT
the text says as well as HOW the author/speaker created it.
· Do not include examples or details of any kind.
· Usually, the summary should be no more than 1/3 the total
paper length.
the review part (your critical thinking about the article)
Type the subheading on the left hand side of the page. What
you call this part depends on what your professor wants you to
do. The main part of your review can take several forms,
depending on the assignment itself. If you are not sure what to
do, ask your professor. Here are some common terms your

7. professors might use.
Analysis/Evaluation/Critical Interaction/Discussion
· breaking the reading down to examine main ideas thoroughly
· judging and evaluating the ideas for their meaning,
significance, relevance, bias, and logic
· examining the kinds of evidence and use of evidence
· discussing agreement or disagreement with the ideas
Application
· examining the article as it compares with theory/concepts
learned in class
· often comparing and contrasting what you’ve read with a
certain perspective (for example, a biblical view)
Personal Response
· drawing connections to your own experiences or making
comparisons (such as cultural comparisons)
· explaining your own thoughts on the topic or your reactions to
the article
Conclusion
Write a very short concluding paragraph. Sometimes the
conclusion is a personal response. Sometimes the conclusion
offers a recommendation or a statement of the usefulness of the
article (such as “This article provides a basic starting point for
understanding the topic of domestic work”).
Writing a Gist Summary
You might be nervous to write a summary. How can you take so
many pages and complex ideas and condense them into one page
or less?
Keep in mind that the reasons for a summary are 1) to show the
professor that you read the article/book and 2) to give readers

8. background to understand your evaluation. Therefore, you
don’t have to try to include every idea.
Rather, your job is to capture the author’s argument – its shape,
its logic, and its main assertions.
To do this, do not try to write a point by point summary. Have
you heard the idiom, “you can’t see the forest for the trees?”
You will find too many ideas that you might miss out on the
actual argument. Your summary will sound more like a list.
Try to understand the argument by making an outline or a visual
map.
1. What is the purpose? To argue, to give information, to
express or entertain? In academic contexts, readings are usually
to argue or give information.
2. What kind of argument is it? Cause and Effect? Problem and
Solution
? Compare and Contrast? Inductive or deductive? Process? If
you figure out the kind of argument, you have figured out the
basic organization and you are ready to make a map or diagram.
3. Instead of finding every main idea, figure out the main ideas
that form the overall argument. If the article is problem-
solution, identify the author’s ideas on the root of the problem,
and the corresponding solutions. If the article is reporting

9. inductive scientific research, find out the methodology and the
kinds of information collected, and then summarize the
conclusions.
Writing Concisely
You don’t have to list everything, such as every chapter or
every part of a theory. However, it is a good idea to give a
couple of examples just to create the “gist.”
· Use words like “such as” and “some” to indicate that you are
not listing everything.
The author explains how problems such as superstition
contribute to the orphan problem.
· Use the colon to introduce lists or details.
SVO: list or explanation
Smith presents several case studies: a family living in poverty,
a single mother with AIDS, a father whose wife died in
childbirth, and children orphaned by the earthquake.
· Use subordination rather than coordination to connect ideas.
Avoid using and, and, and. Try using after, since, although.
After SVO, SVO.

10. After he explains the purpose of his book, Smith explains the
concept of childhood.
· Use ING clauses:
ING + simple past + that + SVO, author name (S) VO.
Having argued that all children have the right to a family, Smith
adds that…
Noun, ING + noun, VO.
This book, combining personal narratives with psychological
studies, delivers a strong argument.
· Use with:
With + noun phrase, SVO.
With detailed narration, Smith paints a picture of childhood in
Haiti.
Review Paragraph Pattern
Start with your assertion, which should include your basic
evaluation and the key word for your topic or category. Explain
in another sentence or two. Provide a “quotation from the

11. article” or some specific information or details. Be sure to
signal this by saying something like “In the article, [author’s
name] states.” The quotation and/or details are your evidence to
prove your point. Next, use a signal to show that you are
evaluating. The signal should be an evaluative word or term,
such as “strong” or “credible” or “unconvincing.” Then explain
why you think this. If you need to give another example from
the article, add that layer. Then signal and explain your
evaluation of it. You may or may not need to add a conclusion
sentence. Add one if you feel that your ideas need to be re-
stated simply.
Personal Response Paragraph Pattern
Start by stating the key word/issue you want to respond to and a
key word that shows your response. Give a quotation or specific
details directly from the article. Then signal that you are going
to respond by using I/me/my. An example is “In my own
journey” or “This reminds me of …” Explain your response at a
specific level. Your response could be emotional (to the
situation), intellectual (to the idea), spiritual, or comparative (to
something in your own life or to another situation, theory, or
article). Be sure to refer to key words from the quotation. Add a
concluding sentence if you feel that you need
one.VOCABULARY FOR WRITING A REVIEW
Consider whether you want to evaluate or just describe.

12. Description:
This book gives a lot of details.Is this good or bad? Do you
like this?
Evaluation:
This book is provoking in its use of details.This tells your
opinion of the details.
Adjectives
Creativity
Quality
Depth
Process
Wrtg Style
Status/Importance
Unusual
Useful
Simple
Careful
Elegant
Significant
Ambitious
Competent

13. Thorough
Exploratory
Verbose
Insignificant
Innovative
Remarkable
In-depth
Preliminary
Repetitive
Important
Intriguing
Impressive
Brief
Tentative
Redundant
Influential
Provoking
Well-written
Detailed
Conclusive
Logical
Notorious
Enlightening
Strong
Basic

14. Inconclusive
Interesting
Famous
Standard
Satisfactory
General
Traditional
Well-known
Original
Successful
Modest
Fluid
Little-known
Ordinary
Powerful
Descriptive
Traditional
Limited

15. Confusing
Out-dated
flawed
Clear
Refreshing
weak
Carefully-worded
Verbs
Success/Failure
Action/Change
Logic
Question
Succeeds
Urges
Forwards
Probes
Fails

16. Demands
Asserts
Questions
impresses
Calls for
Suggests
Wonders
empowers
Complains
Claims
Explores
Weakens
Laments
insists
hypothesizes
Strengthens
Warns
Contends
Hesitates
Deplores
Concedes
Confuses
Condemns

17. Concludes
Clarifies
criticizes
Generalizes
Misses the point
provokes
Overgeneralizes
Ignores
Simplifies
Struggles
Oversimplifies
enlightens
Tips for Writing a Strong Review

18. Guide your reader.
· Make it clear what ideas come from the book/article. To do
this, use phrases like “Rauhala points out…”
· Make it clear what ideas are your own. Ask your professor for
preference about tone. Can you use “I” or does the professor
want you to be very formal?
· If you can use first person, you can write signals such as “I
was confused about…” or “I found Rauhala’s discussion
convincing.”
· If you cannot use first person, use phrases like “However,
Rauhala
misses the point” or “The author’s point is well stated.” The
evaluative words signal that you are offering your critique.
Use quotations and references to the book/article. Be very
specific.
Weak: She uses examples from different countries.
Better:
Rauhala enriches her argument by illustrating the situation of
domestic servants from different countries, such as Cambodia,
Jordan, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

19. Be careful that you do not just describe. Your job is to
evaluate.
Description:
Rauhala refers to Human Rights Watch as evidence.
Evaluation:
Rauhala gives credibility to her argument by referring to well -
known and respected organizations such as Human Rights
Watch and the International Labor Organization.
Organize your points
These are all good options for organizing the review portion of
your paper. Check the assignment to see if your professor asks
for anything specific.
a. chronological (your points following the order of the book or
article)
b. importance (choose greatest to least or least to greatest)
c. positive/negative (devote one section to positive analysis and
the next to critique
Module 3Research Writing

20. What is research and why do you need it?
The Merriam Webster Dictionary states that research is:
1: careful or diligent search
2 : studious inquiry or examination
especially : investigation or experimentation aimed at the
discovery and interpretation of facts, revision of accepted
theories or laws in the light of new facts, or practical
application of such new or revised theories or laws
3 : the collecting of information about a particular subject
SO, when we research, we carefully and thoroughly look for
information and examine it. We use the information to make a
theory or to discover something or to apply it.
We need to research in order to DISCOVER new knowledge and
PROVE what we think.
In scholarly work, our own ideas are valuable but ONLY if we
explain, develop, explore, and prove them.
Steps:

21. 1. Choose and examine a topic.
2. Identify a question about your topic that you want to answer.
3. Read everything you can find to get a thorough answer to
your question.
4. Collect your findings together and look for patterns.
5. Organize your findings into categories and consider how
these categories connect to one another.
6. In each category, what does your research show you? What
does it mean?
7. Begin to write. Interact with the research findings to show
your readers what you discovered. The writing should be a
combination of your own voice and thoughts with the research
that helped you find those ideas.
Topic Development
Always check your syllabus and any additional handouts from
your professor. Follow the instructions carefully, and ask your
professor questions if you are not sure. Do NOT rely on what
your friends tell you!
If your professor has given you an open-ended topic, your next
step is to spend time brainstorming, exploring, and analyzing a
topic.

22. Here are some starting strategies:
1. Ask yourself, “What am I passionate about?”
2. Brainstorm how a topic could be addressed from any
academic discipline or perspective (marketing, economic,
socioeconomic, demographic, management, leadership, art,
music, pop culture, media, historical, psychological,
environmental…) This might help you narrow your interests
and exclude categories as well.
3. Enter your basic topic idea into a Google Image search.
Sometimes an overview of images will give you ideas and
inspiration.
4. Enter your basic topic idea into a search on TedTalks.
Browse the findings and listen to some of the speeches to help
you think of new questions and ideas.
Once you have chosen a topic and have some ideas, begin to
explore ways to narrow it. A research topic should not be too
broad.
WHO:Do you want to narrow to a specific demographic group
(gender, age, culture…)? Is there a specific group of people you
are interested in?
WHAT: Do you want to narrow to a specific problem or event?

23. WHEN: Do you want to focus on a current issue? A historic
situation? Or do you want to look at changes over time?
WHERE: It is essential to narrow to a specific context because
problems differ greatly according to place. You should not try
to look at women’s issues all around the world, for instance.
What country do you want to examine? Do you want to narrow
it further to a specific city or region?
WHY: Do you want to limit your research to investigating one
particular cause or effect?
HOW: Do you want to look at solutions? Do you want to
research a specific kind of solution (such as economic, policy-
making, medical, or educational)?
Developing a research question
A research question guides you. It keeps you from being
distracted or getting off-track. You start to read your research
to find the answer to your question.
A research question needs to have enough depth to lead you in
writing a whole essay. It should NOT ask about a specific fact,

24. such as “How many people died in the wildfires in California?”
It should NOT ask somethi ng that is trivial, such as “What did
Emma Stone wear to the Golden Globe Awards?”
It should NOT ask something too broad and idealistic, like,
“What is the best way to have world peace?”
It should NOT ask something obvious, like, “Is nuclear war
dangerous?”
Here are some good ways to begin a research question:
What is the correlation between ____ and _____?
What is the relationship between ____ and ____?
What are the effects of ____ on _____?
How does ____ impact _____?
What are the underlying causes of _____?
Become aware of your biases
Before you begin reading and looking for answers, what biases
do you have that might interfere with your search? Try to
challenge yourself to read all kinds of perspectives, even ones
you disagree with.

25. What is evidence?
As you look for answers, you will begin to form conclusions
and ideas. The research informs what you think and it also
provides your EVIDENCE for why you say what you say.
Where do you go for answers?
· Experts – provide theories, knowledge, and interpretation
· Philosophers – provide ways of thinking
· Researchers – provide specific studies along with details of
their methodology, sample group, findings, and data
· Data and Numbers – provide measurements so that you can
provide evidence rather than just a perception or belief
· Maps – provide spatial information and comparisons over time
· Primary sources – provide records of the way of life and real
experience of individuals at a specific time (includes court
documents, historic documents, letters, diaries, business
documents, emails, speeches, policy and government
documents)
· Testimony – provide stories of experiences from people who
actually lived the situation
· Images/photographs/video – provide physical documentation
· Interviews – provide direct answers to questions about a
specific situation

26. · Scientific evidence – provide facts derived from inductive
work (such as chemical analysis and biological processes)
Finding Research: information literacy
Before you search
· Do NOT type your whole research question into a search bar
· Do NOT type your whole thesis or detailed topic into a search
bar
· Use a basic Google search or Wikipedia JUST to get an
overview of the topic and write down important vocabulary to
help you search
· Brainstorm KEY WORDS and continue to add to your list as
you find more.
Consider general concepts
Consider synonyms
Consider different perspectives
Consider different word forms

27. Consider different combinations
Consider related words
USE the library!
· Ask the librarians for help. They will help you learn to use the
databases, find useful key words, and even help you with your
research.
· Request books and articles. If our library does not have it,
they can find it for you. (There is a fee for this service and you
must plan ahead).
· Use the Library Onesearch, which will search through books,
articles, media, and ebooks. This should be your first place to
look.
· You might need to find your research in pieces. For example,
you might not find THE PERFECT article that says exactly what
you want. You might find a little bit here and a little bit there.
Remember that you are reading to DISCOVER so focus on
learning new things.
· Follow subject headings and links to categories that fit your
search. The categories that pop up may give you ideas for how
to limit your topic.
· Remember to click on “full text” and “peer reviewed” to
narrow your results

28. · Save or email the articles to yourself and include the citation
format you need. This will provide the bibliography all ready
for you. (Note: You may need to make small format changes as
the auto-bibliographies are not perfect).
Use Google
· Do not rely on the internet. Use the library databases as your
main search.
· Try different combinations of search words
· Access the internet via the TWU library. On the library
homepage, look for “Additional Search Tools.” You will see
links to Google Advanced and Google Scholar. By linking
when you are logged into the TWU library, you will gain access
to documents that will otherwise require payment.
· Look for major news publications such as The Economist, The
Guardian, New York Times, Forbes, and Globe and Mail.
· Look for major research and statistical firms such as Ipsos,
Gallup, Statistics Canada, any national statistics.
· Use university websites which often include published
research and journals from their faculty or from university
institutes and centres
· Do not use blogs and corporate articles unless they are
relevant to your paper. For example, it you are talking about the
impact of blogs, it would be relevant to quote from blogs. If you
want to learn about the attitudes of youth towards a certain

29. issue, you might want to read some social media discussions
from youth to gain an understanding from their real dialogue).
Checklist for Evaluating Sources
Is the source scholarly or “popular?”
· Popular sources include magazines that you normally find in
stores, such as
Woman’s Day, People, Chatelaine, Canadian Living. You don’t
find scholarly journals at Superstore or Walmart. Scholarly
articles are found in journals, not magazines.
· Popular sources are well-known in the general public. For
example, although wikipedia is useful for your own personal
interests, it is not a good site for your academic work.
· Popular sources are sometimes published weekly or daily.
Check to see if the date includes day, not just month and year.
Scholarly sources are usually published quarterly (four times
per year) or sometimes monthly. They usually include a volume
number (and sometimes an issue number).
· Popular sources are sometimes written by popular or famous
people such as celebrities or television journalists. If you are
not sure about the author, ask your professor. The most
important information to check is the author’s background. Fi nd
out the author’s educational background, other books he/she has
written, and associations he/she belongs to.

30. · Popular sources often use first person, second person, slang,
idioms, humour, personal stories, and letters. They might
include long descriptions. They might use a lot of questions and
exclamations. Scholarly sources may use first person, but more
often they use third person. They use formal vocabulary and
grammar. They never use exclamation marks.
· Academic sources usually use references to studies and
experts. There is usually a bibliography. If a website looks
academic but does not include a bibliography, it is not a good
one for your university research.
· Scholarly sources usually refer to studies, statistics, theory,
and history, and they reference the authors and researchers who
contributed this knowledge. Popular sources may use statistics,
but they often do not tell you where the statistics come from.
Beware of articles that say “Research shows…”
· If the source is from the internet, use your critical thinking
skills to analyze .com sites. Use .edu or .gov or possibly .org
· If the source is from the internet, look at the visuals. If there
are a lot of pictures, graphics, emoticons, cute visuals, and
bright colours, it is likely not academic. Remember: academic
sites usually look boring!!
· If the source is from the internet, follow links. Look at the
homepage and the About Us links. Look at who sponsored the
site (at the end in small print). Look at when the page was last
updated. If it is not recently updated, it may not be a very good

31. site. Look at what else the site is connected to. Do not use it if
the website is promoting a product or service.
What are the author’s credentials?
This is usually found at the beginning of a book and at the end
of an article, or at the front of a journal. Publishers’ websites
often have bios or their writers. You can also find out by
searching for the author’s name in the library, on databases like
EBSCOHost, or on the internet. Look at what other things
he/she has written to find out what topics and perspectives
he/she usually discusses. Also look at the names of journals to
find out any potential bias.
· What is his/her education?
· What is his/her experience?
· Is he/she associated with any organization, publication,
university?
· What is his/her perspective?
· What is his/her bias? Does this bias affect the trustworthiness
of his/her work?
Is the source current?
Try to use information published within the last 10 years, with
the exception of classical works and “pioneers” in the field.
Unless you are studying a topic historically, use only very

32. recent statistics. For natural, applied, and social sciences,
research should be very recent.
Is the source accessible for you?
It should not be so difficult that you cannot use it responsibly.
Credibility Ratings: Critical Thinking about Research
For each item you discover as you research, consider the level:
1Popular source for self-help or entertainment
2Personal story, testimonial, or narrative (blogs, magazines, pop
culture books)
3News article, magazine article, article from a professional
organization; may include research but reported in journalistic
or less formal style
4Scholarly source but written for average reader; includes
references and scholarly research such as studies, statistics, and

33. reports.
5Scholarly source written for advanced academic work; includes
references and scholarly research; written in very formal style,
with long sentences and difficult vocabulary. This level is
written for experts in the field.
In most academic writing, only use levels 3-5. You might use
level 2 in some kinds of essays, as people’s real life experiences
and testimonies can provide valuable evidence and interesting
examples. This is more common in journalistic writing than in
academic writing.
Research Essays: Overview
Your essay should NOT be just a list of the information you
found. It should not be a collection of information (like a
Wikipedia page). Your essay should present your argument,
which you developed as you looked for the answer to your
research question. The parts of the essay should work together
to reveal your argument.

34. Introductory paragraph
Your introduction should be approximately ½ page or a little
more. The purpose is to warm up the reader and present your
thesis statement. You should NOT provide background, history,
or evidence in this paragraph. Your thesis should appear at the
end of the introduction. Your thesis is a statement that
summarizes your whole argument.
A=B paragraph (Context and Background)
The length of this paragraph will vary depending on what you
need to define or how much background you need to provide.
This paragraph includes research. NOTE: In some courses, you
may be asked to write an “argumentative essay,” which requires
you to provide “opposition points.” You can sometimes use the
A=B paragraph for this purpose.
B=C paragraph (Connection to your topic)
The length of this paragraph will also vary. Here, provide
background information on the specific issue/country/group of
people that you are going to focus on. This paragraph includes
research.
Body paragraphs

35. The body of your essay will require many paragraphs.
Remember: this is NOT a 5 paragraph essay! Each paragraph
needs to build connections to the thesis and show how the
research proves what you have discovered. Each paragraph
should include multiple citations and layers of research
evidence.
Concluding paragraph
The concluding paragraph is usually fairly short, perhaps 5
sentences in length. Restate your argument in a fresh way. You
do not need to repeat all of your points or sections. Do NOT
offer solutions, suggestions, or recommendations in this kind of
essay. Sometimes you can discuss some of the limitations of
your research. You may wish to end with a strong sentence that
leaves the reader thinking. However, do not use a “wonderful”
sentence (such as “As the government pays more attention to
this problem, the country will be a wonderful, happy place.”).
The Thesis Statement
When you are drafting your thesis statement for any kind of
research paper, it is important to consider all of the following
features. A strong thesis:
· Limits the topic – a specific topic, appropriate to the essay
length, with necessary limitations
Consider: specific group of people, age, place, time, condition,

36. situation, type
· Unifies the parts – take one side (avoid talking about both
advantages and disadvantages) unless your question asks you to
examine both
· Develops an opinion – may be strongly stated (such as
“should”) or may be created simply by the connections you
make.
To test for opinion, ask yourself, “would everyone agree?” If
the answer is “No,” then you have opinion.
· Considers a specific perspective – generally, don’t look at
multiple perspectives but rather limit to one
· Lists your roadmap – not essential but very helpful. The
roadmap may be in a separate sentence following the thesis. It
includes at least three categories, but depending on the length of
the essay, could include more. The roadmap helps your reader
predict your organization (how you will categorize your
evidence). It’s kind of like an index to your essay.
Sample thesis statement structure
From a ___________ perspective, specific topic + your opinion
+ connection to another concept (BECAUSE)+ roadmap
(THROUGH, IN, WITH, BY).
From an anthropological perspective,

37. orphan care in Haiti
must focus on nurturing
because complex cultural patterns continue to put children at
risk
through
abandonment, desperation, imprisonment, and slavery.
123 4A=B Section (context, background, and Definitions)
In a research essay, in a section immediately after your
introduction, provide your A=B paragraph.
The A=B paragraph could provide:
· An overview of the history of your topic, such as the different
perspectives and opinions on the issue. (This is sometimes
called a Literature Review, or “Lit Review”).
· Key definitions
· A definition of your perspective, also called a premise. For
example, “All children have a right to a family.” The paragraph
would then explain or argue for family as a basic right and
explain why family is so crucial for human development.
B=C Section (Background of your specific issue)
The next paragraph moves to a more specific level. It focuses
on your actual topic. For example, “The orphans in Haiti need
families.” The rest of the paragraph would then provide:
· Background facts, numbers, and other information of the
situation you will analyze, such as the number of children who
are orphaned, the different kinds of orphans, and the number of

38. children who live on the streets.
· A summary of the situation, such as a story or chronology of
the last two decades of the orphan situation in Haiti.
· The specific perspective or definition that you will follow,
such as the value of nurturing in child development.
The Ladder of Abstraction
General/Abstract
All
Most
Many
Some
Few
One
Specific/Concrete

39. Using the Ladder:
· Most paragraphs move from general to specific, building onto
each concept (most common academic pattern).
· Research follows the ladder from top to bottom – from general
research earlier in the paragraph to more detailed evidence later
in the paragraph
· Introductions move from the top down.
· Conclusions move from the middle up.
· Examples fall at the bottom of the ladder.
Research Paragraph Pattern
Begin with your assertion, which should include your thesis key
words and your paragraph key word. Explain this assertion in
further detail in another one to two sentences. Introduce general
research support, “Give your quote or paraphrase or evidence”
(Citation, Year). Transition. Give your discussion of the
research and connect to your key words. Introduce more specific
support, “Give your quote or statistics or factual detai ls”
(Citation, Year). Transition. Give your discussion and connect
to your key words. Introduce your very specific support, “Give
your quote or specific details of the case or story” (Citation,
Year). Transition. Give your discussion and connect to your key
words. At the end, you may or may not want to add a
concluding statement in your own words.

40. Remember the ladder of abstraction for organizing your
research support:
General: Expert comments, theoretical ideas.
Middle: Findings of a research study, statistics, factual
information.
Bottom: One person’s experience or one specific event to
illustrate.
You might organize each paragraph following this general
guide, or you might have multiple paragraphs that organize your
evidence in this way.
Integrating Research
1. Introduce the quote, summary, or paraphrase. You can do
this in different ways:
· Give the source (name or title) and a verb such as:

41. writesillustrates
explainshighlights
suggestsreveals
describesargues
emphasizesasserts
**Vary the reporting verb throughout the paper and make sure
that the verb you choose accurately reflects what the original
author was doing and/or saying
· Use a transition word or expression to connect to your
previous sentence.
· Put the quotation inside your own sentence. For example,
When parents are faced with the reality that they can only feed
two of their five children, they “are forced by desperation to
make a choice that might seem unacceptable to an outsider”
(Smith, 2010, p. 71).
2. Don’t forget documentation! Remember that all research
must have a reference, even if you are just using a general idea,
a term, or an example. You do not need to document “common
knowledge” such as well-known historical events, fairy tales,
and widely-known facts. If in doubt, it is best to provide
evidence and documentation.

42. 3. Add a transition. Consider what you want to do with the
research. Do you want to restate it, emphasize it, add to it,
explain it, agree or disagree with it…? This transition shows the
reader how YOU are interacting with what you found. This is
what makes your essay an essay and not an encyclopedia.
This means/ shows/ reveals/ highlights /indicates/ clarifies
In other words
It is clear that
Clearly, then,
For this reason,
With this in mind,
4. Explain from your own perception and thought what you
think of the research, why it is important, how it relates to other
points, or how it relates to your main point. Use key words to
make connections. Use a key word from the quote plus a key
word from your paragraph to put the two pieces together.
In explaining and discussing, do NOT use first person (I, me,
my) or second person (you, your) in research papers.

43. Module 4WRITING THE exegesis PAPER
WHAT IS EXEGESIS?
According to the Oxford Dictionary, exegesis is:
“critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially of
scripture”
Thus, it focuses on understanding a “text,” which means some
kind of oral or written communication. It does not evaluate the
quality of the text. It does not give personal response to the
text. The focus is on explaining or interpreting the text. In other
words, you should ask yourself, “What does it mean? What does
it show me?”
You can use the patterns we learn in this paper to write papers
in your RELS courses but also for analyzing things like poetry,
novels, and speeches.
THE COGNITIVE TASK: ANALYZING BIBLICAL

44. NARRATIVES
Here are some questions to guide you. In exegesis, there are no
right or wrong answers. However, your ideas must have
evidence in the text itself.
What is the genre?
What does the story tell you about the characters? For example,
did they act like heroes? Did they make mistakes? Did they
obey or disobey God?
What does the story tell you about humanity in general?
What does the story tell you about God?
What does the story tell you about the culture at the time?
What is the theme of the story?
How can we apply this story to our life today?

45. WRITING THE EXEGESIS ESSAY
INTRODUCTION
Provide a brief introductory paragraph (3-4 sentences). Catch
the reader’s attention and narrow to your thesis. Focus on the
biblical character or theme that you will analyze, or focus on
the common topics of the biblical book. Do not make general
statements like “I agree with what the Bible says” or “The Bible
is important.” These are empty statements. In fact, avoid using
first person in this essay.
THESIS
The thesis comes at the end of the introduction. Use this model:
Biblical passage shows/reveals/highlights + BIG IMPRESSION
through
________, ________, and ________.
(evidence from biblical passage)
Here’s an example:
Genesis 1 and 2 reveal God’s omnipotence (=big
impression/thesis key word) through the act of creating, the
systematic method of creating, and the goodness of all creation
(=roadmap key words #1, 2 , 3).
A=B

46. Provide a paragraph to give background to your analysis. This
might include what is known about the historical context (when
the story takes place and/or when the book was written), who
the author is and what his/her perspective is, the biblical genre,
and what has been happening in the book before your text.
B=C
Transition to your BIG IMPRESSION. You can do this as one
sentence at the end of your A=B paragraph or you can do this in
a separate paragraph if you have more to say. Make sure you
add your key word. Do NOT restate your thesis or roadmap (too
repetitive).
ANALYSIS
Write three or more paragraphs to interpret the meaning of the
text. Follow your roadmap from your thesis. Make sure you
connect each paragraph to your BIG IMPRESSION. Your
evidence all comes from the text itself, so direct quotes are
essential.
Remember that an exegesis focuses on the direct meaning of a
biblical text. It does not discuss the theme on its own. For
instance, if you want to emphasize that Genesis 1 and 2
emphasize God’s omnipotence, your essay should prove this and
stick to the text. You should not talk about God’s power in
other situations, or what it means to be creative, or the

47. importance of the natural world. Your essay is a textual
analysis.
NOTE: Sometimes your professor will ask you to do a line-by-
line analysis. This means that you explain each sentence of the
passage step by step. If you write this kind of exegesis, your
thesis will be only the first part of the pattern:
Biblical passageshows/reveals/highlights + BIG IMPRESSION.
CONCLUSION
Write a short conclusion (3 sentences). Your conclusion often
explains how the meaning of the biblical passage is relevant
today. Sometimes you give a personal response. Always check
your professor’s instructions. You might end your essay with a
phrase or key word from the biblical passage and your BIG
IMPRESSION.
For example, I could end my essay on Genesis 1 and 2 like this:
God “said” and then he “saw” what He had made, and it was all
good. His presence and His power of speaking creation into
existence reveals His omnipotence.
SAMPLE EXEGESIS OUTLINE
THESIS:
Matthew 18:1-6 reveals the importance of humility through

48. Jesus’ ironic answer to the disciples’ question, his calling of a
child, and his emphasis on caring for children.
A=B
This is an eyewitness testimony of Matthew, one of Jesus’
disciples. It is set in the context of the ancient world, in which
children did not hold a high place of importance. In fact, Jesus
says that the child has a “lowly position” (Matthew 18:4 NIV).
In various biblical descriptions of the life of Jesus, the men are
counted, but the women and children are seen as extras.
B=C
However, Jesus’ view was different: he placed children at the
top. This emphasizes the difference between earthly and
heavenly values of power and humility.
BODY PARAGRAPH ONE:
In Jesus’ day and to much the same extent today, people wanted
to know about power, but Jesus used irony to surprise the
people, emphasizing how “greatness” comes from humility. In
Matthew’s account of Jesus’ life, the disciples ask him, “Who is
the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (Matthew 18:1). They
want to know about how power would be organized in heaven.
Ironically, Jesus responds that heaven is not about power but
about humility. He says, “I tell you the truth, unless you change

49. and become like little children, you will never enter the
kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself and
becomes like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of
heaven” (Matthew 18:3-4). The word “change” is significant. As
people grow older, they inevitably lose the innocent faith of
childhood and assimilate into their society’s levels, standards,
and expectations of power and success. However, Jesus shows
his disciples that the kind of “greatness” they expect, as adults,
is not the same as the “greatness’ in heaven. His ironic answer
highlights that becoming humble is most important.
THE EXEGESIS BODY PARAGRAPH
ASSERTION: Bring in your new key word for the paragraph
and connect to your BIG IMPRESSION.
EXPLANATION of your idea in your own words
EVIDENCE: Introduce the context of the quote, then provide
the biblical quotation and the citation (where it is found in the
Bible). Quotations (rather than summary/paraphrase) are most
important.
Add a transition word and DISCUSS the quote in your own
words or with research. Pull out the key words from your quote
and explain what they show you. Connect to your assertion.
If you wish, provide another layer of EVIDENCE (another quote
to analyze).
CONCLUDE with a clear sentence if you need to. If your
paragraph has naturally concluded from your discussion, avoid

50. being repetitive.
SAMPLE PARAGRAPH
Isaiah’s prophecy reveals that sound leaders must learn to
control their pride. In other words, this passage emphasizes that
leaders must not get caught up in the greatness of their abilities
so that they lose focus on the work that needs to be done. A
prideful focus can lead to one’s fall from leadership. The
prophet Isaiah discusses this consequence in reference to
prideful kings in Israel:
You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my
throne above the stars of God…I will ascend above the tops of
the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ But you are
brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit.
(Isaiah 14: 13-15)
Therefore, kings who believe they can be better and more
powerful than God face consequences, and could end up being
“brought down” as leaders. From Isaiah’s perspective, instead
of focusing on their greatness, leaders should be humble and
serve others. By replacing pride with humility, one can earn
respect in a position of leadership.
© Melinda Dewsbury, 2019
© Melinda Dewsbury, 2019

51. Applied Physics
Module 0 Part 2: Mathematical Tools for Physics
MEASURING DIRECTION & POSITION
INDICATE DISPLACEMENTS AND DIRECTIONS.
AND ANGULAR DIRECTION. THE ANGULAR DIRECTION
MAY BE EXPRESSED IN DEGREES OR RADIANS.
GEOGRAPHIC
TERMS SUCH AS NORTH, SOUTH, EAST AND WEST.
MEASURES ARE COMBINED TO INDICATE DIRECTION.

52. Up = + Down = - Right = + Left = +
y
x
+
+
-
-
Quadrant IQuadrant II
Quadrant III Quadrant IV
0 o
90 o
180 o
270 o

53. 360 o
Rectangular Coordinates
Physics Mathematics Direction Indication:
RADIANS = ARC LENGTH / RADIUS LENGTH
R
y
x
+

54. +
-
-
Quadrant IQuadrant II
Quadrant III Quadrant IV
NOTICE THAT THESE DIRECTIONS ARE NOT PRECISE !
TRIGNOMETRY

55. RIGHT TRIANGLE (A TRIANGLE
CONTAINING A 900 ANGLE). THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL
CONCEPT IS THE PYTHAGOREAN
THEOREM (A2 + B2 = C2) WHERE A AND B ARE THE
SHORTER SIDES (THE LEGS) OF THE
TRIANGLE AND C IS THE LONGEST SIDE CALLED THE
HYPOTENUSE.
GIVEN NAMES SUCH AS SINE, COSINE
AND TANGENT. DEPENDING ON THE ANGLE BETWEEN A
LEG (ONE OF THE SHORTER SIDES)
AND THE HYPOTENUSE (THE LONGEST SIDE), THE
RATIO OF SIDES FOR A PARTICULAR
ANGLE ALWAYS HAS THE SAME VALUE NO MATTER
WHAT SIZE THE TRIANGLE.
A RIGHT TRIANGLE
B

56. C
900
900
A
A
B
C

57. A RIGHT TRIANGLE
C
A1
s

58. C
B1

59. B
A1
90 o
y
x
+
+
-
-

60. Quadrant III
Quadrant IV
Quadrant I
Quadrant II
90 o
0 o
180 o

61. 270 o
360 o
+ + +
+ _ _
_ _ +
_ + _
m67
50tan
o
h
o

62. h
a
o
h
h
On sunny day , a tall building casts a shadow that is 67 m long.
The
angle between the sun’s rays and the ground is 50 degree.
Determine the height of the building
mh
a
mh
a

63. 0
0
0
h
0
h
A scalar quantity is one that can be described by a single
number:
temperature, speed, mass
A vector quantity deals fundamentally with both magnitude and
direction:
velocity, force, displacement
By convention, the length of a vector arrow is proportional to

64. the magnitude of the vector.
8 lb
4 lb
Arrows are used to represent vectors. The direction of the
arrow gives the direction of the vector.
To add one vector to another.
The tail of one vector, in this case A, is moved to the head of
the other vector B. The vector sum ( C is the
vector that extends from the tail of one vector to the head of the
other. The sum of the vectors is called the
resultant .
+x
+y
FinishStart
Tail to head
A

65. C
B
6 m 3 m
The sum of the vectors is called the resultant and equals:
9 m
Example: Add 2 vectors. Both vectors have
the same direction
2.00 m
6.00 m
Example: Add 2 vectors. Vectors are perpendicular to each
other.
6

66. Start Finish
Tail to head
Finish
Start
Tail to head
A
B
C
+x
+y

67. When a vector is multiplied by -1, the magnitude of the vector
remains the same, but
the direction of the vector is reversed.
A
B
BA
A
B
BA

68. A
B
C
Tail to head
Tail to head
Start
Start
Finish

69. Finish
Addition and subtraction of vectors: Component method
Vector in the rectangular coordinate system of Figure . The
vector A can be expressed as the
sum of two vectors along the x and y axes, , where
A x and A y are called the
components of A. In two dimensions. The vector components of
A are tow perpendicular
vectors A x and A y . The direction of A x is parallel to the x
axis, and that of A y is parallel to the y
axis. The magnitudes of the components are obtained from the
definitions of the sine and cosine
of an angle: cos θ = A x / A and sin θ = A y / A, or
yx
A
It is often easier to work with the scalar components
rather than the vector components.

70. . of
componentsscalar theare and
A
yx
AA
)ˆcaret a ( 1. magnitude with rsunit vecto are ˆ and ˆ yyx
yxA ˆˆ
yx
x
A
y
A

71. A
x
y
A
A
x
y
o
Component method of vector addition, A + B = C.
These resultant components form the two sides of a right angle
with a hypotenuse of the magnitude of C;

72. thus, the magnitude of the resultant is
The direction of the resultant C is calculated from the tangent ,
tan θ = C x / C y . To solve for the angle θ,
use θ = tan −1 ( C y / C x ).
The procedure can be summarized as follows:
1. Sketch the vectors on a coordinate system.
2. Find the x and y components of all the vectors, with the
appropriate signs.
3. Sum the components in both the x and y directions.
4. Find the magnitude of the resultant vector from the
Pythagorean theorem.
5. Find the direction of the resultant vector using the tangent
function.
To add vectors numerically, first find the components of all the
vectors. The signs of the components are the
same as the signs of the cosine and sine in the given quadrant.
Then, sum the components in the
x direction, and sum the components in the y direction. As
shown in Figure , the sum of the x components
and the sum of the y components of the given vectors ( A and B)
comprise the
x and y components of the resultant vector ( C).

73. yx
x
A
y
A
x
B
y
B
x
C
y
C
x
y

74. BAC
yxA ˆˆ
yx
yxB ˆˆ
yx
yyxxyxyx
xxx

75. yyy
Example
A displacement vector has a magnitude of 110 m and points at
an angle of 55.0 degrees relative to the x axis. Find the x and y
components of this vector.
C

76. 0
55
x
y
0
90
In science, we often encounter very large and very small
numbers.
Using scientific numbers makes working with these numbers
easier
Scientific numbers use powers of 10
Score _____ Name __________________________ Date
_______________ Period _____ Page ______

77. Name __________________________ Date _______________
Period _____ Page ______
Cornell Notes
Title in Textbook _____________________________ Page
Numbers _________
Reduce & then Recite
· Create questions which elicit critical thinking, not 1 word
answers
· Write questions directly across from the answers in your notes
· Leave a space or draw a pencil line separating questions
Record for Review
· Write headings and key words in colored pencil
· Take sufficient notes with selective (not too much verbiage) &
accurate paraphrasing
· Skip a line between ideas and topics
· Use bulleted lists and abbreviations
· Correctly sequence information
· Include diagrams or tables if needed for clarification or length

80. Cornell Notes Page 2
Reduce & Recite
Record for Review

82. Reflect & Recapitulate
In your own words and in complete sentences, write a 3 – 4
sentence summary paragraph. Your summary should cover the
main concepts of the notes, be accurate, and have adequate
details.